SAHIWAL: District Police Officer (DPO) Ghulam Mubashir Mekan has introduced community policing by directing the 17 station house officers (SHOs) in the district to visit mosques in their jurisdictions during Friday prayers.

SHOs will listen to people at these gatherings to get firsthand information regarding law and order.

Dawn learnt the DPO issued written orders regarding the community policing in the first week of August. Many SHOs visited mosques on Friday.

The DPO told Dawn most of citizens were shy of visiting police stations and now they could see the police officers in mosques and share their concerns.

He said community policing would improve the image of police among the citizens and would encourage the police and the public to connect with each other. SHOs will visit the mosques of all sects in their jurisdiction.

A source in the DPO office said SHOs would be monitored closely in their community policing and every SHO would submit a weekly report.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2018